Paper-feeding means for paper-making machines



Oct. 22, 19 29. R. CARPENTER I 1,732,833

PAPER FEEDING MEANS FOR PAPER MAKING MACHINES I Filed March 3, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 22, 1 929. R. CAIYQPENTER 1,732,833

PAPER FEEDING MEANS FOR PAPER MAKING MACHINES Filed March 3, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 area/on R. CARPENTER Oct. 22, 1929.

PAPER FEEDI NG MEANS FOR PAPER MAKING MACHINES Filed March 5, 1928 4Sheqts-Shee1.

Oct. 22, 1929. CARPENTER 1,732,833

PAPER FEEDING MEANS FOR PAPER MAKING MA C FHINES Filed March 5, 1928 4.Shaets-Sh eet -4' mm nm nun-n Patented Oct 22, 1929 P OFFICE RUSSELLCARPENTER, OF THREE E IVERS, QUEBEC, CANADA PAPER-FEEDING"MEANS FOR PAPER-[MAKING MACHINES Application filed March 3,

Thisinvention relates to drier apparatus of paper making machines of the high speed type such as disclosed in my pending application Ser. No. 330,5d0. This apparatus consists of a series of steanrheated cylindrical drierrolls mounted in staggered relation on horizontal axes and. adapted to dry thelpaper as it travels at high speed therethrough during the manufacturing operation. The invention r lates particularly to the means for threading or effecting the initial feed of the paper through the drier series.

Heretofore this initial .threading or feeding operation has been, inmost paper mills nowiin operation, and still is being effected by endless ropes which arelooped round the drier rolls successivelythroughout the series and carrythe advance end ofzthekpaper from roll to roll when required. Theseropes, ow- 2 ing to their high speed of travel, are the cause of heavy losses to paper manufacturers, owing to the fact that they frequently break and render the machine inoperative for some .time, it taking, inmany cases, from two to three hours to set the machine in operation again. The loss in production will be readily appreciated when it is considered that travel of the paper through the driers is usually at the rate of 1000 feet aminute.

Frequent attempts have been made in the past to overcome the losses experienced with the ropes and the invention disclosed in my pending application ahovementioned will, it is believed, he eminently successful in this ii respect. The present invention, however, seeks to overcome the problem by providing an efficient feeding means which will avoid the necessity of employing theropes or any other apparatus which would tend to produce break-clowns.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a feeding means which will be active only when performing its paper feeding function and will automatically become inactive this function is completed. To this end my invention consists of the combination, construction and particular arrangement of the parts hereinafter described and illustrated and pointed out in the claims.

For full comprehension, however, of my 1928. Serial No. 258,979.

invention,reference must behad to the .accompanying drawmgs, 1n which the same ref- :erencecharacters in the various .viewsindh cate the same parts and wherein:

F lgure 1 is an elevation of drier apparatus having my invention applied thereto Figure 2is a fragmentary end elevation of oneiof the drier rolls and associated structure;

Figure 3 is asectional view'taken on line 3-3, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a similar viewto Figure 1, but drawn to a larger scale and showing some of i the pneumatic paper feeding .means in section;

Figure 5 is a sectional viewtalcen online 5-5, Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an axial sect ional view drawn to a larger scale of one of the pneumaticpaper feeding rings and illustrating the rela-...

tive location of its suctionbox;

Figure 7 is a similar view toFigureG, but illustrating the pressure chamber and its sup ply pipe Figures valvular mechanism for controllingthe progressive operations of the :various pneumatic paperifeeding units, Figurcs=9 to 12, inclusive, being taken on sectionlines 99, 10-10, 11-11. and 12 12,:respectivcly; ofFigure 8. *It' is to bedistinctly understood that the drawings illustrate only the preferredembodiment of-my invention, andthat various changesmay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

8 to 12, inclusive, illustrate the Referring to the drawings, the main frame of the drier apparatusof a paper making machine is indicated M2, the drier rolls at 3, the shafts upon which the drier rolls rotate at 4, and the paper web at 5. It will be noted that the drier rolls are disposed horizontally in staggered arrangement andthat the through the drier series in its initial travel by endless ropes which were looped successively from one drier roll to another. The

present invention eliminates the necessity of using these. ropes by utilizing a combined pneumaticsuction and pressure arrangement which is so constructed and arranged that the paper is automatically fed from one roll to another successively throughout the series, the various elements of the feeding means automatically becoming inactive immediately after they have performed their paper feeding function, thus eliminating unnecessary waste of power, wear and tear, and reducing breakdowns to a minimum.

My improved pneumatic paper feeding means for effecting this threading or initial paper feeding operation consists of a series of rings 6 corresponding in number to the number of drier rolls and located in axial alignment therewith and in close proximity to the front ends thereof. These rings have the same outside diameter as that of the drier rolls and, although they are normally idle, they are adapted to be moved axially into contact with the adjacent ends of the drier rolls and be rotated at the same speed by frictional engagement therewith. Each ring is provided with an internal continuous flange 7, constituting a running rail, which is supported by anti-friction rollers 8, the rollers being supported in turn upon shafts 9 between collars thereon which permit perfect freedom of rotation of the rollers but prevent their axial displacement relatively to the shafts. The shafts 9 are slidably mounted in an annular supporting frame 10, which in I turn is secured to the main frame by brackets 12. The means for shifting the feeding rings axially to and from frictional engagement 'with their respective drier rolls consists of a pressure system comprising a series of cylinders-and plungers 15 mounted in the cylinders and having'their external ends supporting shafts 9 and extending into contact with the rings, the contacting plunger ends being provided with any suitable anti-friction means, as at 16, to maintain wear at these points at a minimum. In the operation of this means the admission of the pressure medium to the cylinders shifts the feeding rings into frictional engagement with the drier rolls,'causing them to rotate in unison with the latter. Any suitable means may be employed for returning the rings to their in activepositions after they have performed their paper feeding function. In the present embodiment, a helical spring 17 is located within each cylinder between the plunger end andthe cylinder head. These springs are adapted to assert themselves when the pressure medium is discharged from the cylinders. From the'above described construction and arrangement of parts, it will be seen that the rings may be caused to rotate in unison with the drier rolls at the will of the operator and that they may be rendered inactive whenever desired.

To impart to each ring the ability to take hold of the paper as it reaches such ring, carry it around its drier roll and transfer it to the next succeeding ring, the periphery 18 of each ring is provided with a circun'iferential series of tangentially disposed suction ports 19 and a suction box 20 is mounted in fixed position within the recess 21 in the outer face of the ring. This box is supported from the main frame in any preferred manner and coacts with the ring in forming a suction chamber 22, which extends around that portion of the ring over which the paper is looped during its normal travel. In the upper drier rolls the suction boxes are located around the upper portions of the rings and in the lower rolls the boxes are arranged around the lower portions of the rings. It will be seen, therefore, that each ring has what I prefer to term a vacuum or suction zone through which the paper travels, the suction produced through the ports 19, as they travel through the suction zone, causing the paper to adhere to the periphery of the ring and to travel in unison therewith. The suction boxes are connected to any convenient suction device through pipes 23 preferably so arranged that they may be controlled by a progressively operated valvular means 24 which is so constructed and arranged that the suction boxes are successively connected in groups to the suction device as the travel of the paper progresses through the drier series, successive groups of the boxes being rendered inactive immediate- 1y their function has been completed.

After the paper has completed its travel through the suction zone of the first drier roll, it is projected across the intervening gap to the second drier roll by a blast of air, indicated by the arrows 25. This blast is projected through the openings 19 as they travel past this point from a pressure chamber 26 located within the ring and communicating through suitable piping 27 with any convenient pressure supply, valvular means, indicated at 28, being provided to permit the progressive operation of the air blast as the paper progresses through the series. Fixed guide boards 29, see Figs. 1 and 4-, are provided to direct the web in its passage from one roll to the next. 7

A valvular means for controlling the progressive operation of the suction and pressure lines is indicated in Figures 8 to 12, inclusive and consists of a valve casing 30, having a connection 31 communicating with the source of suction or pressure, as the case may be, outlets 32 communicating with the various pipe lines 23 or 27, controlling different groups of the drier rolls, and a. rotary valve 33, controlling the pipe lines and having a series of ports Set adapted to open and close the pipe lines successively as the travel of the paper through the machine progresses. Any means, electrical or otherwise, for controlling the operation of the valve and for timing it with the travel of the paper, may be employed Without departing from the spirit of the invention; and it may be found desirable to employ an electrical cut-out to shut off the main line when the paper breaks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: r

1. In a paper making machine, a series of drier rolls and suction means for effecting the initial threading of the paper therethrough, said means consisting of a series of rotary members arranged in axial alinement with the respective rolls and corresponding in diameter therewith, said members being constructed and arranged to rotate in unison with the rolls and having a circumferential series of suction ports, and means for causing suction through said ports as they enter that zone in which the paper travels over the periphery of the drier roll.

2. In a paper making machine, a series of drier rolls and suction means for effecting the initial threading of the paper there through, said means consisting of a series of rotary rings arranged in axial alinement with the respective rolls, said rings having a circumferential series of suction ports and being rotatively free from the rolls, means for moving said rings to and from engagement with their rolls, means for causing suction through the ports as they enter that zone in which the paper travels over the roll, and pneumatic pressure means for projecting the initial end of the paper to the next succeeding roll.

3. In a paper making machine, a series of drier rolls and alternately arranged pneumatic suction and pressure devices for effecting the initial threading of the paper through the roll series, means controlling the operation of said devices and constructed and arranged to progressively set them in operation as the paper progresses through the series.

l. The combination with a series of staggered drier rolls, of suction means to hold the end of the paper web on that segment of each roll with which it comes in contact, pneumatic pressure means to convey the end of the web from one roll to the next, and means to cause said suction and pressure means to act progressively throughout the series of rolls.

5. In a paper drying machine, the combination with a series of staggered drier rolls, of means having peripheral openings mounted concentrically with each roll, pressure means to bring said concentric means into frictional contact with the roll, suction devices carried by said concentric means and operative through a peripheral segment thereof to hold the end of the paper web onto the roll, pneumatic pressure devices carried by said concentric means and operative through a peripheral segment thereof to convey the end of the Web from one roll to the next, and means to guide said end in its passage between the rolls.

6. In a paper machine comprising a staggered series of drier rolls, means to feed the end of the web progressively through said series, said means consisting of perforated rings mounted concentrically with the rolls, means to temporarily clutch said rings to the rolls, suction devices operative through a segment of said rings to hold the end of the web on the roll, pressure means operative through another segment of said rings to carry the end of the Web from one roll to the next, and means to guide the web in its passage between the rolls.

Signed this 16 day of April, 1929.

RUSSELL CARPENTER. 

